The present invention relates to an automatic wax coating apparatus for use with skis and, more particularly, to an apparatus for automatically coating the sliding surfaces of ski strips with a liquid wax.
Ski contestants have heretofore manually applied a wax coating to the sliding surfaces of their skis in a series of steps performed in the following order.
(1) Snow or dirt is removed from the sliding surfaces of the ski strips and the ski strips are dried. PA1 (2) The old wax remaining on the sliding surfaces of the ski strips is removed, as by shaving. PA1 (3) A new coat of liquid or solid wax is applied to the sliding surfaces of the ski strips and the wax coated is dried. PA1 (4) The uniformity, thickness and surface texture of the wax coated are checked. PA1 (5) Any superfluous portion of the wax coated and the wax over unwanted areas is removed, as by shaving. PA1 (1) Since all the operations that accompany the application of a wax coat has been performed manually, several awkward problems are encountered. For example, skiers often have their hands scratched during removal of the wax or their clothes dirtied by the wax during application thereof. In addition, the skiers must manually perform, for themselves, all the operations required to apply the wax coat, and the application of the wax coat has literally been time-consuming work. PA1 (2) In the application of a wax coat, it is possible to omit the steps of removing, as by shaving, the old wax remaining on the sliding surfaces of the ski strips and the step of removing any superfluous portion of the wax coated and the wax over unwanted areas, as by shaving. However, since it is impossible to perform a plurality of steps in parallel, it finally takes a long time to complete all the work. PA1 (3) In almost all the cases, the application of a wax coat requires a space which allows a person to perform the application of a wax coat and the space required for the ski strips to be laid down. PA1 (1) The required manual operation consists merely of placing ski strips into and removing them from the wax coating apparatus according to the present embodiment. Accordingly, the number of manual operations can be greatly reduced and, additionally, a wax coating of accurately controlled uniformity, thickness, and surface texture can be applied by automation. PA1 (2) Since the hot air nozzle is incorporated into the brushing device, the step of melting snow stuck to the ski strips and drying them as well as the step of drying the wax coated with hot air can be efficiently achieved. Accordingly, the required working time can be reduced. PA1 (3) Applying of a coat of wax is enabled only if there is a space which can accommodate the wax coating apparatus according to the present invention. Accordingly, the working space required to apply the wax coat can be reduced.
In addition, the practice of applying a coat of wax to reduce the friction in accordance with the quality of snow has become popular among skiers in general.
However, such skiers tend to complete the application of a wax coat in a time period which is short compared with the time which it would normally take for ski contestants to complete the application of a wax coat. For this reason, many skiers omit the above procedures (2) and (5).
Irrespective of whether ski contestants or skiers apply a wax coat, it is, of course, desirable that the uniformity, thickness, surface texture and so forth of the wax coated onto their skis be accurately controlled. Accordingly, almost all those who coat their skis with a wax have checked the quality of the coating, laying down the ski strips on a flat surface so as to immediately visually check whether the uniformity, thickness, surface texture and so forth of the coated wax are accurate.
However, the above-described manual application of a wax coat has the following problems:
It is common practice, however, that the application of a wax coat is actually performed in a place such as a home, a lodging near a skiing ground, and so forth. Accordingly, it has been difficult to provide the space required to lay down ski strips and to apply a wax coat to them.
Needless to say, it is not desirable to perform the application of a wax coat outdoors. Small dust may stick to a wet wax due to a wind and, in addition, if the atmospheric temperature is excessively low, it will take a long time for the wax to perfectly dry and the person will have to withstand coldness.
One method of effecting in a narrow indoor space is to apply a wax coat to ski strips which are leaned against something. In this method, however, it is difficult to immediately visually check whether the wax coat has been applied with accurately controlled uniformity, thickness and surface texture. Accordingly, such a method is not a desirable one for those who desire to accurately control the uniformity, thickness surface texture of the wax coated.